Broken Hill: A Blueprint – Advocating For Our Future

Broken Hill: A Blueprint – Advocating For Our Future is a strategy that embraces investment in capital infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurialism to transform the economy of Australia’s First Heritage Listed City - BrokenHill.

It is a road map to guide the advocacy activities of Council for the achievement of new urban designed spaces, technology, art, events and enterprises and identifies interventions that will place the City in an optimal position to attract new visitors, residents, businesses and industries.

Advocacy for Broken Hill is about actively pursuing strategies that create an environment to give our community a voice to influence decisions at a State and Federal level to improve the liveability and economic sustainability of our City.

The Blueprint outlines how Council will use a variety of methods and techniques to pursue Broken Hill’s advocacy priorities. This includes opportunistic and programmed activities such as making submissions, direct lobbying, delegations, face to face meetings, correspondence, media activities and public campaigns. Council will also leverage the relationships it has with other councils in Far West NSW, Regional Development Australia, the business community, industry and service providers.

The emphasis our community has given towards a sustainable economy recognises the imperative to innovate, problem solve and create new opportunities to remain relevant in a global environment that is marked by rapid social and technological change. It also marks a shift in community appraisal, recognising that, although technology has reduced the need for labour over the years, it has also delivered efficiencies and
bridged the isolation gap. Technology paves the way to operate on a national and global scale and delivers far greater opportunities in education, tourism and business.

In order to reduce our reliance but also build on new opportunities in the mining industry, the community has identified strategies that reflect a commitment and determination to expand our thinking and adapt to remain relevant in the world as it is today. This means building on existing economic platforms, like art, culture and tourism, and on new opportunities such as technology, renewable energies and education. We must also actively pursue prospects for new business investment and encourage and support local entrepreneurialism and innovation as our economy transforms to meet new opportunities.

The Blueprint is underpinned by a projected $50m integrated infrastructure development that includes a focus on strategic transport and housing, connectivity, Heritage City promotion and a cultural precinct development program that connects various sites in the City and fosters creativity, inclusion and innovation.

The plan is a game-changer – moving Broken Hill’s economic and psychological attachment to a resource-based economy and providing actionable projects and activities through capital investment in a staged intervention and laying the foundation for communication with government and investors.

To achieve the vision, Council will interact strongly with other spheres of government, business, industry and service providers to identify emerging opportunities and achieve practical support to achieve those opportunities.